Colours
by tazia101
Summary: Red for blood, Orange for a sunset, Yellow for sand, Green for trees, Blue for sky, Indigo for a dress, Violet for a velvet-coated box. Valduggery, from the perspective of our favorite skeleton.
1. Chapter 1 (Red)

_**Red.**_

How many times had Valkyrie and I been captured? The whole "fear" aspect of it had almost worn off. Almost being the key word. It's still there, of course. But dulled with use. So here we are, shackles around our wrists and ankles, pinning us against the wall. We're on opposite sides of small room, facing each other. The shackles around our wrists pull us upright, stretched. The height is perfect for me, I can stand without difficulty. But Valkyrie is barely touching the floor, and I can see that her arms are hurting.

"Lean against the wall," I tell her. "Let it take part of your weight." I watch her shift backwards. It's an awkward position, twisting her arms, but it takes the pressure off, and she sends me a grateful smile.

"So, how are we getting out of this one?" She asks. They took her Necromancer ring, and jacket. She's wearing a plain black T-shirt, black pants, and her boots. They've taken my gun and my hat. They will pay for that. Whoever 'They' is. I shift my hands inside the manacles, testing their size and strength. I can't break them, or get out. They're bound, I can feel that without even trying magic.

Valkyrie begins pulling at her metal cuffs, then tries snapping her fingers. Nothing works, and after a minute she leans back against the wall. "I'm bored," she complains. "Where's our captor?" She looks around the room, and I mirror her action. We're in a classic dungeon. Stone walls, rusty shackles, and a barred door, like a cage. There's one addition, a security camera in the corner. Valkyrie makes a face at it. I tilt my head, letting her see my amusement.

Then the door swings open, admitting a man with long, black hair. Shadows flicker under his dark robes. Necromancer. He looks at me for a few seconds, hazel eyes curious, like I was a bug under a microscope. Then he looks over at Valkyrie, sweeping his eyes over her slowly. She stares back at him steadily, but a faint red spreads across her cheeks, revealing her discomfort. The man notices and smirks, before turning back to me. "Detective," he says, inclining his head in a formal sign of respect. I wait quietly.

He meets my gaze, his eyes piercing into my eye sockets. "I'm sure you're wondering why you are here. Who I am, who I'm working for, and what we want. I have no doubt that there are hundreds of questions and theories, bouncing around in that empty skull of yours. However, I will answer only one of them. We want to know where you've hidden the armor of Lord Vile."

I shift my focus to Valkyrie without moving my head. Her expression is guarded, but her eyes betray her surprise. The surprise becomes fear. If one person knew that I had the armor, other people knew. And if that news got around to the wrong people, they would have all the puzzle pieces to put together. They would know who I had been.

The man is getting impatient, the shadows swirling in mini-tornadoes around him. I can see his power source, a delicate bracelet in the shape of a snake. "I don't have it. The Sanctuary has it," I try. The shadows settle.

"Don't play games with me, Detective. Your secret is out on this side. It's only a matter of time before it spills into the other." There is nothing to say to that, so I wait for him to continue. "Where is it?" He asks, when it's clear I have no intention of speaking. I stay quiet. The man sighs. "Very well."

Shadows creep from the floor, from the wall behind me. I can feel their cold touch as they spread across my bones. They curl around my ribs, and reach into my chest. Then the Necromancer makes a gesture, and they're inside my head. Blackness fills my vision, and my whole body is freezing. It has been a long time since I had felt the cold as pain. Then I can feel pressure, like a headache. The shadows are pushing outwards, against the thin bone of my temples. The pressure builds, becoming painful. I hear my bones creak, a desolate, hopeless sound. And there is another sound, somebody screaming. It isn't me.

"Skulduggery! Stop it! Stop hurting him!" The voice shouts. Valkyrie. Suddenly the pressure is gone, the blackness is gone, and I can see her. She's twisting against the chains, her wrists red. I lift my head, and she stops, watching me. "Just tell him," she says. "Please." I shift my weight, subtly leaning against the wall. The Necromancer smiles at her, and turns to me.

"I'll give you some time to think it over," he says. "I'll be back." Then he walks out of the room, shadows trailing dramatically behind him. I stay standing for Valkyrie. My bones hurt down to their marrow, but I have to be strong while she is watching. She tugs against the manacles again, then gives up.

"Skulduggery, please, just tell him. This is horrible. I can't see that again." She lets herself fall, held standing by the wall and the shackles. Her eyes are full of pain, and I don't want to make her watch if it hurts her. But I can't let the first death bringer's power fall into the hands of… Whoever's hands were waiting. It's too unpredictable, dangerous. There had to be another way. I focused on the chains that held me, running a series of calculations in my head. It could work. But if it didn't, it would hurt.

I slide my feet up the wall, letting the cuffs around my wrists support me. In one abrupt motion, I shift my weight, tangling the chains and then letting myself fall. My weight, strength, and a very little bit of luck shatters the chains. I fall to the floor, catching myself in a roll at the last second. The cuffs are still around my wrists and ankles, my power still bound. I jump and use a fist to shatter the security camera's view, but we have to move fast.

I help Valkyrie break her chains in the same way, and catch her when she comes free. I steady her, then head for the door. I let her kick it down. I can see anger glittering in her eyes, and letting her take it out on a door is probably the best thing to do. We had just stepped into the hallway when the Necromancer shadow-walked into the room behind us.

"Shit," Valkyrie says, and then we're running. A shadow curls around her ankle, and she falls. I reach to help her up, but other shadows follow the first, dragging her back into the room. She yells and grabs for my hand, but too late. I take a step, following her, and then the shadows catch me too, slamming me against the wall. Back where we were, this time held by shadows instead of metal.

The Necromancer sweeps his gaze over both of us, shaking his head like a disappointed father. "So, now that your escape plan has failed, are you ready to give up the information?" I hesitate, and then shake my head. If he starts torturing me with shadows again, he might lose his focus on Valkyrie's bonds. Then she'd be free, at least. The man frowns. He turns to look at Valkyrie. "I was told that you'd be able to convince him, if you saw him hurt. Now I see that you are altogether useless. I suppose I can get rid of you now."

The shadows turn sharp, and Valkyrie looks at me with panicked eyes, and I shout "No!" The Necromancer turns back to me, surprised.

"What?"

I shift slightly in the grip of the shadows. It had been stupid, but it had been the only thing to do. I let my distaste flatten my voice, and I speak slowly. "Don't touch her. Don't hurt her. You can't kill me, and you can't keep me imprisoned forever. At some point I will escape, and if you hurt her, I will kill you in the slowest, most painful way I can think of. And I am a creative individual."

They're both staring at me. In the moment of silence, my words ring true. And then the Necromancer starts to smile. "I see," he says. He looks at Valkyrie again, and then at me. "I was told that you didn't care for her the same way she cares for you. I see that was false." I was right. That shout was the stupidest thing I could have done. I feel cold around my bones, and it has nothing to do with the shadows. Now they will use her against me, and I know that I won't be able to watch. Too close to the heart.

The man flicks a finger, and a blade of shadow flashes across Valkyrie's cheek. A drop of blood escapes from the cut and falls to the floor. I keep very still. She presses her lips together and mirrors my stillness, keeping her eyes on my face.

"Where is Lord Vile's armor?" The man asks. My mind is running through endless possibilities, discarding each plan as it appears. I nearly miss the question, and I have no answer. The man takes my silence as a reply in itself. He makes a larger gesture with his hand, and the shadows whip across Valkyrie's chest. The black T-shirt offers no protection, and through the rip in her shirt, I can see her blood. She flinches but keeps her eyes on my face, clenching her jaw, but not crying out. I slowly curl my fingers into fists, trying to sort through my thoughts, that are getting all disorganized at the sight of her blood.

Shadows flash across Valkyrie's arm, and this time she did cry out, once. The blood runs down her arm, falling to the floor. I flinch against the wall, staring at the brightness of the red. "Stop," I say finally.

The Necromancer turns to me, raising an eyebrow. "Where is the armor of Lord Vile?" I hesitate. No going back now. I begin to focus inwards, letting my awareness flow into my bones.

Then I hear Valkyrie's voice. "Skulduggery!"

The Necromancer turns, slashing his hand through the air. The shadows cut across her chest again, then split into multiple blades that lacerate her arms. She cries out and the tears finally escape her eyes, falling into her blood. I block it out and reach inside myself, then pull. Shadows fall from my sleeves like magician's scarves, congealing into puddles on the floor. I watch as they rise, hardening into a suit of armor. The Necromancer reaches out for it eagerly, and I watch as he puts his hand into the shadows. They curve around him, accepting him. He is enraptured, and I feel the shadows around me weaken.

I throw myself away from the wall, rolling so that I come up beside Valkyrie. I tear away her bonds, and she falls, unable to support herself. I turn to the Necromancer, whose hands are trapped inside the shadow-armor. He pulls at them, but they don't move. Then the armor suddenly bursts outwards, impaling the man on a hundred spikes of shadow. He collapses, and the armor stands there, empty. I can feel it like a physical pull. As though I am attached to it by a string, and it's pulling me towards it.

I take a step closer without meaning to. The shadows are soft now, waiting for me. My foot bumps against the dead Necromancer, and I look down. His blood is on my shoes, his face rigid in dead. For a moment, all I feel is satisfaction. Through the satisfaction comes a familiar joy, and for a moment I am Lord Vile. Then Valkyrie moans, and the moment is broken. I'm standing directly in front of the armor, with no memory of getting there. I reach out and touch the shadow-metal, feeling it flex beneath my hand. Then I crumple it, folding it into itself, until it's the size of a die. I reach into my empty rib cage and drop it inside, feeling the shadows spread into my bones, dissipating. Hidden.

Then I'm kneeling by Valkyrie's side, lifting her, and running. We are in a castle, an old castle that's been partly re-done. I see an armory, a parlor, a bedroom, and a workshop. I duck into that last and split the cuffs binding my magic. I head straight to the window and step out, bending the air to support us. I hold Valkyrie as tightly as I dare, and I fly as though the Faceless Ones are after me again. Her blood is warm against my bones.

I land outside the Sanctuary and run inside, paying no mind to the people who dart out of our way, or stop and stare. I kick open the doors to the medical hall and lay her down in a bed. Nye comes loping over. "What have you done now?" It asks, its voice high-pitched and nasal. It reaches for Valkyrie, but I stop its hands. It looks at me indignantly.

"I know what you tried to do. To Valkyrie. I will never forget, just like I've never forgotten the things you did in the war. You're going to fix Valkyrie, and I'm going to sit here and watch. And if you do anything wrong, or if you make one out of line comment, I will shoot you. And I will smile all the while." I watch Nye, noticing the fear and the hate that cross its face simultaneously. Then the expressions are gone, and it's smiling.

"Of course, Detective. I'm offended you'd doubt my new moral code, but I have no problem with supervision." It pulls out a needle and thread, then yanks Valkyrie's shirt off in one smooth movement. Caught off-guard, I freeze for a second. If she woke up right now, she'd want me to leave. But somebody has to watch Nye. Somebody has to make sure he does his job.

So I pointedly ignore her black lace-rimmed bra, and focus on the cuts that cover her. I watch as the thing that was our doctor sews her up with little black stitches, and covers her new seams with gauze. I pull the blankets over her when it's done, and I watch her sleep. Her blood covers my gloves, stains the white shirt I am wearing, and soaks through the gauze. Red.

Valkyrie opens her eyes and smiles at me. "Ouch," she says a second later. Nye hurries over and gives her one of the leaves that Kenspeckle used to use. She chews and swallows. The medicine slows her breathing and I can see it pulling down her eyelids. Before she falls asleep, she reaches out a hand and brushes my cheek-bone. "Thank you," she murmurs, and then her eyes close. Her lips part slightly as she sighs once. I had never really noticed her lips before, never noticed how perfect they were. How red.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks to ticklethedragon1, my beta and Valduggery buddy._

_I'd like to mention that it makes me really happy when you review. So take some time to say something, hopefully something kind of nice. I'd appreciate it!_

_Coming next-_

_Orange: In which Ghastly texts Skulduggery at an inopportune time, Valduggery watches a sunset, and Valkyrie falls asleep. _


	2. Chapter 2 (Orange)

**_Orange._**

I got out of the Bentley, and hurried around to the other side to help Valkyrie. She was already half-way up the stairs, and I caught up with her quickly. "Nye said you should take it easy, remember?" She gave me a "look."

"Okay, first, I can't believe you just quoted Nye, and second, I think he was trying to tell me not to practice martial arts until the stitches are out." She was probably right, so I didn't say anything back. She shuffled around in her jacket for her key, holding it up triumphantly when she found it. She opened the doors and led me inside.

She looked around her house, clearly glad to be home. I could hear Echo-Gordon in the kitchen, talking to himself. I watched Valkyrie take off her coat. I could see it pulling at the stitches on her chest, and I wanted to help her, but didn't. Valkyrie didn't like being offered help, even when she needed it. She hung it up and started for the stairs.  
She started to climb, and I knew that she was pushing herself on purpose, testing how mobile she was. I stayed behind her, nervous. She came onto the second floor, and began the next flight of stairs. Valkyrie's room was on the fourth floor. She wasn't seriously going to climb three flights of stairs with stitches across her chest, was she? I could see Valkyrie leaning against the railing slightly, and I wanted to offer my arm to help her up.

But she would probably just glare at me. So I watched as she began the last flight of stairs. My cell phone vibrated. I reached into my pocket to check it, and that was when Valkyrie fell. She put her foot in the wrong place, and slipped. She slammed into me, and I took my hand out of my pocket to steady her, but we were already falling. I pushed at the air, trying to cushion our landing.

We hit the stairs and rolled, the world blurring into a jumble of eyes, elbows, and legs. Then it was over, and I laid there, waiting for my vision to sharpen. I could hear Valkyrie trying to recover her breath, feel her chest against mine. As my vision focused, and her breathing became even, I suddenly became aware of her. Her legs were twisted around mine, her hands gripping my jacket tightly. My arms were around her, still trying to protect her from the fall.  
She suddenly went still, and I inferred that she had come to the same awareness. Slowly, I unwrapped my arms. She let go of my jacket and untangled our legs. I got up first, and turned to look down at her. Her eyes were closed, cheeks faintly red. She made a slight move, as though to get up, and her face twisted in pain. She opened her eyes and held out a hand.

I grabbed it and pulled her up next to me. She stumbled, lacking my amazing sense of balance. I placed my hands on her shoulders, quietly assessing her stability. She slid a hand into her shirt, and when she pulled it out, her fingers were red. "Shit," she muttered, "I think I tore my stitches." The blood was soaking through her shirt, a wet darkness. I hated blood. It was inconvenient. It had ruined far too many suits to count.

Valkyrie turned towards the stairs again, and took a step towards them. She grimaced and put a hand to where the stitches must have split. I walked beside her and offered my arm. I expected to be pushed away, but after a moment of silence, she slipped her arm into mine, and I helped her up the stairs. She leaned on me as we made our way down the hall and into her room. I sat her on her bed, and then waited.

"I'm going to check the stitches. Turn around," she instructed. I did as I was told, and stared at the white walls of her room as though they were the most interesting painting I'd ever seen. I heard her sharp intake of breath as she pulled off her T-shirt. Fighting the urge to turn, I listened as she poked the cuts, muttering curses under her breath. There was a moment of silence. She wasn't moving, she was sitting still. I could feel her eyes on my back. "Skulduggery," she said finally. "I need your help. Will you stitch a couple parts back up?"

"What makes you think I know the first thing about stitching?" I asked without turning.

"You went through a war, didn't you?" She had a point. I had sewed up more than my fair share of friends. "I just don't want to go back to Nye," she continued. She sounded nervous, as though she thought I would refuse. I couldn't.

"Thread and needle?" I asked.

"I think I have a sewing kit on the top shelf of my wardrobe." I went to the mahogany cabinet and swung open the door. The floor-length mirror that used to hang on the inside was shattered. I averted my gaze from the sharp pieces still clinging to the frame, and reached for the box on the top shelf.

"Valkyrie, this thread is all orange," I said over my shoulder.

"I don't care. Hurry up, I'm bleeding on the carpet," she responded. I turned to face her. Two rows of stitches formed an X on her chest, and there was blood running from them, soaking into her bra and then dropping to the floor. She was blushing, which would have made me smile if I hadn't been eternally grinning.

She was a good-looking young woman, which I had been noticing for a while. She was, quite honestly, beautiful. And it wasn't only me who had noticed. People had been tripping over themselves to help her while we were investigating. And yet she still felt bad about her body, always pushing herself to work harder and eat less. And now she stood before me, her cheeks red, waiting.

I pulled my focus back to the cuts across her chest. I crossed the room to her. "Lie down," I told her, and she did. I reached into my pocket, and pulled out a leaf Nye had given me for her pain. Valkyrie popped into her mouth with enthusiasm. While I waited for the medicine to hit her nerve centers, I sat next to her on the bed and cut away the broken stitches. My gloves were getting blood on them, so I took them off. The thin bones of my fingers were more accurate when there wasn't fabric in the way.

When the bad stitches were out, I started to sew. The orange thread overlapped the black, giving the wounds a nightmare, Halloween look. Valkyrie looked down at herself and smiled faintly. "I look like a torn rag doll."  
I left to get a cloth, and when I came back, she was trying to get up. I pushed her head back onto the pillow and washed off the blood, trying to be gentle around the new stitches. Once, one of my knuckles brushed her collarbone and she shivered. I kept my cold fingers away from her skin after that. When her skin was clean, I handed her the first shirt I could find, an orange tank-top with a black design around the bottom.

I helped her put it on so that she didn't use her arms too much. She was struggling to get up, so I slid my arm into hers and pulled her upright. Her skin was warm, too warm. I put a hand against her forehead. It was hot. She sighed as my cold bones touched her, leaning into my hand. Worried, I walked her over to the window and opened it, the wind blowing into the room, a cool spring breeze.

Valkyrie closed her eyes and tilted up her chin, opening her arms and letting the wind blow over her entire body. I left her there and went into her bathroom, pulling out the fever medication. I hesitated, unsure about combining regular medicines with Kenspeckle's herbal pain killers. In the end, I only brought her a glass of water. She drank it gratefully, then pointed to the window.

"Skulduggery, look at the sunset, it's beautiful! Can we go onto the roof and watch it? Please?" I followed her finger to the world outside. The sun was low in the sky, a powerful, burning orange. The clouds around it were tinged with the colour, contrasted against a purple-blue background of sky. When I turned, the light shone through the window, illuminating Valkyrie's eager smile.

How could she still look so young sometimes at nineteen? You couldn't say no to those eyes. I held out my arm, and she ran to join me by the window, wincing as her steps pulled at the new stitches. I stepped onto the sill and wrapped an arm around her waist. I've been trying to teach her flying ever since she reached the surge, but she can't seem to pick it up. She just doesn't have the patience for it.

She hung onto my shoulders, and I stepped off the landing. The air swept around us, lifting us upwards. I don't even have to use my hands anymore. We landed on the black-shingle roof of Gordon's home. Valkyrie climbed onto one of the peaks of the roof and dangled her feet off, facing west.

I sat beside her, and we watched the sun set together. The fiery orange of the sun slowly sank underneath the Earth, and shadows swept in to take the light's place. The sun was gone, but its light still turned the clouds a light orange shade. Valkyrie leaned her head against my shoulder bone, yawning.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"For what?" I asked automatically. She moved her hands outwards, a gesture that encompassed the whole world.

"For everything you've done, all the times you've saved my life. I really don't know where I'd be without you." She got up, and walked to the edge of the roof. I followed her, and lowered us back to her bedroom. She leaned against the wall, and I went and got her a pill for her fever. She swallowed it dry, and then laid down on her bed, stretching out with a contented sigh.

"God, I'm tired. It must be that leaf-medication stuff." She yawned again, and I pulled the blankets over her. She settled her head against the pillow. "Good night, Skulduggery," she whispered.

"Good night," I replied, and turned off her light. I opened the window again, and prepared to step outside.

"Skulduggery?" Valkyrie said, and I paused, turning back. She was sitting up, her dark hair loose and tangled. "I love you. You know that, right?"

She's told me that once before, years ago. But back then, she was in pain, and confused, and I doubt she really knew what she was saying. It was rare that she let down her guard any more. She was always laughing, always pushing the serious things aside and making jokes. I suppose we were both like that.

"I know. I love you, too."

I don't think I've said that in centuries. It felt nice to say. I wonder who I last told that. Valkyrie is lying back down again. I can hear her breathing, slow and even. I wonder if she even heard me before she fell asleep. I turn back to the window, and step out. I turn around and close it, then let myself drop to the ground. I get into the Bentley, and begin the drive to the main road.

I have a gun to recover, and I still have to track down whoever hired that Necromancer. The sun is well and truly gone, and the orange has been replaced by the black night.

* * *

_A/N: Hello again. I really have nothing new to add. Ticklethedragon1 is still amazing, I still would love for you to review, and I am still grateful for you reading my story. _

_Coming next-_

_ Yellow: In which Skulduggery has an epiphany at the beach, which ends up being an unfortunate place to zone out. _


	3. Chapter 3 (Yellow)

**_Yellow._**

I hate the beach. I always have, and I always will. The sun bleaches my bones, and I happen to be white enough already. The water is full of salt, and it smells like dead fish. But the worst thing about the beach is the sand. It gets into your shoes, and grinds between your toes when you walk. You find it in your cuffs for days afterwards. But those are reasons for anyone to hate the beach. At least other people have skin to keep the sand out. I find sand in my skull, sand between my vertebrae.

So there I was, sitting on a bright yellow towel, manipulating the air to keep the sand away from my eye sockets. Why was I there if I hate it so much? The answer to that question was dipping her toes in the water, wearing a small, yellow bikini.

"Hey, guys, come on! The water is really warm!" Valkyrie yelled, stretching out her arms to the sun. Ghastly was sitting beside me, reading a book. He looked up briefly to wave Valkyrie to go on without him, then flipped a page. On my other side, Fletcher and his new girlfriend were sunbathing. We were here in Australia to visit them. They looked up and ran to join Valkyrie. As strange as it was, Valkyrie had formed a close friendship with Fletcher's third and current girlfriend, Sara Dawning. I think she was happy to have a girl to chat with again.

I watched them wade out into the water, and then one by one dive underneath, surfacing shouting and laughing. Fletcher suddenly pulled Sara into a kiss, and Valkyrie turned away, covering her eyes jokingly. She peeked through her fingers at me, and I shifted my focus to Ghastly. It was too late, I had already caught her attention.

"Hey! Skulduggery!" She called. I pretended not to hear her. She swam closer to shore, and then got out of the water, stomping over to me. I looked up at her slowly. She stood over me, hands on her hips, a silhouette against the afternoon sun. "We came here to be on vacation. We are on vacation. Sitting here trying not to get sand on your suit isn't being on vacation. Come swimming. Doesn't the water feel nice on your bones?"

I looked out at the ocean again. Fletcher was chasing Sara, who was trying to hide underneath the surface of the water. I looked back at Valkyrie and shook my head. There was no way I was going swimming. She sat down next to me, resting her chin on her knees.

"You're being a wet towel," She told me. I shrugged. She sighed. "You're hopeless." I nodded, and she stood, brushing the sand from her legs. "I'm still hoping for you, hopeless," she said. She kissed my cheekbone and ran back into the water, slipping underneath the surface and not coming back up for a while.

My cheekbone felt like it was tingling, or burning. I could still feel her lips. I watch her head pop out of the water. She pushed her dark hair out of her face, laughing. I felt…I didn't know what I was feeling. The burning spot where she had kissed me spread through my bones, filling the space between them. The feeling was strange and yet familiar. I sorted through my memories, tracking it back in time. Then all at once, I knew. I had felt this nearly four centuries ago, dancing with a woman who would become my wife. I pushed the image away, trying to forget the bitter-sweet memory.

I loved Valkyrie. I loved her stubbornness, her laughter, her entire annoying self. I had known that for years. But this feeling was more. It was attraction. Was that even possible? I watched her splash Fletcher with water, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Yes, apparently it was. I had felt attracted to women before, even as a skeleton. China had always woken up the part of me that still thought I was a man. This was different. My bones were tingling. I could feel the heat of that innocent kiss inside my ribcage. Somehow I wanted her.

That was one thing settled. Now I just had to convince myself otherwise. Valkyrie was beautiful, and captivating, and complicated. But she was also nineteen years old. I was four hundred and thirteen. How could I be with Valkyrie when she was so young? How could I even consider it? Want it?  
And I am dead. There's really no forgetting that. Nothing but bones, not even a man anymore. I am an oddity, and mystery, but not a potential partner. To admit to myself that I am attracted to Valkyrie is one thing. To consider admitting it to her was a step farther. To consider telling her…  
What was wrong with me? I had known her since she was twelve, a young girl with big eyes. I was her teacher, best friend, her father figure. She was supposed to be like a daughter to me. But she wasn't.

Well, I'd just have to push these feelings aside. In time I would forget them. I couldn't act on them, obviously, so what else was there to do? Not only was it overwhelmingly wrong in all views of society, I couldn't imagine Valkyrie returning the feeling. She knows that most boys would fall at her feet. And why would she choose dry, unyielding bone, over the warmth of soft skin?

There was someone tapping my head. My consciousness snapped back into my body, and I was looking out at the ocean. My vision was half-filled with a light yellow, which was confusing me. I turned my head to the left, and found myself looking into Valkyrie's deep brown eyes. Her lips were moving, saying "Skulduggery?" I nodded.

She was smiling at me now. "Were you meditating?" She was kneeling on the sand next to me, her hair still wet from the sea water. Fletcher and Sara were sitting in the sun, tanning. Ghastly was still reading his book. And Valkyrie was waiting for my answer.

"Yes," I replied. She grinned.

"You've got sand in your eye sockets," she told me. That explained the yellow in my vision. She began to brush me off, sand falling from my coat, my hat, my shoulders. "Stand up," she instructed, and I did. I tilted my head forwards and two twin waterfalls of sand pour from my eye sockets, tickling the inside of my head. Ouch.

She moved behind me and I felt her hands on my back, dislodging sand. "We're going home now," she said. She circled me once, checking me over. I felt vaguely uncomfortable, but she finished her inspection and looked satisfied. "There. Sand-free. Come on." She grabbed my wrist and tugged me over to Fletcher.

The boy looked up at us and grinned, his hair a blonde halo in the sunlight. "'Sup?" He asked lazily.

"Skulduggery and I are going to go back to Ireland. I really enjoyed visiting with you and Sara. But I don't think that Skulduggery likes the beach. Next time, if we could find a dance or something, that could suit him better. I'm going to pick up my dress from his house. Would you teleport us, please?" Fletcher hopped up, and tapped Sara with a foot. She rolled over, and flipped her hair out of her eyes. Fletcher offered her a hand and pulled her up.  
"Skul and I are headed back," Valkyrie told her. The two girls embraced tightly, and then smiled at each other.

"See you again soon. Will you come by for a drink on Saturday?" Sara asked eagerly, and Valkyrie nodded. Then Fletcher put a hand on our shoulders, and we were in my living room. He waved good-bye cheerily, and then we were alone.

Valkyrie patted me on the shoulder and walked into her room. I had bought her a bed and let her decorate one of the rooms a few years ago. She kept half her clothes there, and half her clothes at Gordon's. I sat down on the couch, and took off my hat. There was still sand on the brim, and I brushed it off impatiently. I tried not to think about Valkyrie changing next door, then tried not to think about not thinking about it, because that was just another way of thinking about it.

I ran a gloved hand over my skull and silently cursed. And then I heard Valkyrie's voice. "I'm going out for pizza. Do you want to come?" I turned. She was leaning against the door frame, wearing a yellow dress. It brought out her tan, and made her dark hair pop. As much as I loved her black clothes that Ghastly had made for her, I had always loved seeing her in colors. Colors like yellow, colors like orange. She was beautiful.

I shrugged at her suggestion. As much as I wanted to stay with her, I needed time alone, time to think. Besides, watching her eat always filled me with a hollow emptiness, a hunger that I could never act on, because it wasn't a physical craving. The burning in my bones could be compared with that. A phantom need. An impossibility.

"Okay," Valkyrie said, sounding disappointed. She headed into the hallway, and I followed her. She pulled on a coat, and shoes. She turned back, and waved. "Catch you around, Skul." Then she was gone, and the door shut behind her. I walked into the living room, and sat in the chair I used to meditate. I tried to clear my thoughts, but images of Valkyrie in the water, Valkyrie in the sundress, wouldn't leave.

I could feel that pins and needles sensation again, but softer. Like there were birds inside my ribcage, their wings brushing against my bones. As much as I tried to ignore it, it was there, and so was a simple fact I could no longer push aside.

I was in love with Valkyrie Cain.

* * *

_A/N: Hello! The usual greetings and thanks to you, as well as thanks to ticklethedragon1, even though she totally screwed up the editing for this chapter. Apparently she got distracted by the amazing plot._

_And lastly, I know you're out there, I can hear you cyber-breathing, so please, please review, because it makes me happy. (:_

_I very much appreciate the reviews I am already getting, I'm going around shoving them in people's faces and grinning like a lunatic. "Look! Look! People are reading my fanfiction!" Most strangers just look at you oddly when you do that. Some tell me 'Congrats' and then back away slowly. Ciao!  
_

_Coming next-_

_Green: The forest is quiet, the water is cold, and Valkyrie is painfully beautiful. (As usual.)_


	4. Chapter 4 (Green)

**_Green_**

"There's a leaf on your hat," Valkyrie told me. I reached up and pulled it off. She held out her hand for it, and I gave it to her. She tore it in half, then quarters, then threw the pieces into the wind and let them fly away. We stopped walking to watch them disappear among the trees, and the silence of the forest wrapped around us.

It was the sort of silence that was made of sounds. The wind sighing through the trees, the leaves whispering against each other. The afternoon sunshine shone through the canopy, tinting everything green. Beams of pure sunlight peeked through the branches, lighting up parts of the forest floor. I stood beside Valkyrie, savoring the peace that filled this place. I tilted my skull up, and let the sun pool in my eye sockets. When I glanced at Valkyrie, she was watching me with an expression that was almost sad.

When I turned my head towards her, she looked away. But I had seen her watching me, and I wondered what she was thinking right now. She resumed walking, still pointedly looking at the ground, and not at me. I followed, our footsteps disrupting the forest's tranquility and sending birds fluttering from nearby trees. Eventually, I spoke.

"You were right about this place. It's much nicer than the beach. I still have sand in my skull, you know." Valkyrie smiled at that, her face brightening as she glanced at me. I was glad to see the melancholy gone from her expression. It seemed out of place in this peaceful forest.

"We aren't there yet, stupid," she said. I looked around us, at the trees that stretched in all directions.

"You mean, there's a specific place we're headed? But this forest is so calm. It's enough just to be here." She had told me that she had felt guilty about the 'beach incident' last Thursday, and wanted to take me somewhere different. So here we were, wandering through the forest behind Gordon's house. She picked up the pace, and I matched her speed.

"Almost there," she said. I felt a slight curiosity. With Valkyrie, you never really knew what was going to happen next. So I followed quietly, letting myself trust her, until she stopped. "We're here."

In front of us, the grass turned into stone, and the stone dropped away sharply into water. She was standing in front of a small pool, fed by a tiny waterfall. It was small but deep, so clear I could see the stones at the bottom. The trees were close around it, their leaves making a ceiling overhead. The light shone through them, turning the water a cool green. Valkyrie gestured to the pool. "What do you think?"

I thought it was beautiful. I thought she was beautiful, her arms spread to indicate the forest, her face half-shadowed by the branches above us. In a dark green T-shirt and black shorts, she seemed to belong to the forest, at home among the trees. For a second, I had no words to form a reply.

"It's lovely," I said. She smiled gratefully. Then she pulled off her sandals, throwing them to one side. She sat on the edge of the pool and dangled her bare feet in the water. She wiggled her toes and sighed. I sat beside her, crossing my legs.

"Why don't you like the beach?" She asked. I shrugged. "That's not good enough," she complained. "Come on, explain yourself!" She nudged my shoulder with hers, trying to push me off balance.

"I don't like the sand. And the water smells like fish." I explained reluctantly. She raised both eyebrows at me, because she's never been able to raise one. She kicked her legs in the water, sending up small splashes.

"Well, I thought that we could go swimming here. The water is clean, it's always cool, and there's no sand. Come on, Skulduggery. I can't even imagine you swimming." I eyed the pool. I didn't like being in water. The feeling of something inside my bones was unsettling.

"I don't think so," I murmured finally. Valkyrie groaned, looking disappointed.

"Do you have your gun on you?" She asked. I shook my head, having left it at the Bentley. Then, suddenly, she grabbed both hands, pulling my gloves off. I stayed still, confused. I suppose I should have guessed her intent by her eyes. They were bright with the joy of trickery. Using her weight, she pulled us both off the side and into the water. Surprised, I let myself sink beneath the surface, and the water pulled me down. Bones float, but fabric doesn't, and my suit was making me heavy. And then Valkyrie was beside me, her hair floating around us in little underwater currents. She grabbed my arm and pulled me to the surface. When we hit the air, she sucked in a deep breath. I suddenly felt conspicuously not out of breath. I didn't need to breathe. Because I was dead. Right. A dead man walking.

But I felt so alive right now, the cold water pressing against my bones, Valkyrie's teeth shining in a wide grin. _So alive._ I focused on the water under my feet, asked it to support me. It solidified, and I shifted my feet to balance. Valkyrie was kicking her legs slowly, keeping herself floating.

"So," she said once she had her breath back. "How's the water?" I looked around before answering, spotting my hat floating near-by. When she pulled off my gloves, she had tossed them to the side, thoughtfully protecting the leather from the water. Apparently my hat did not garner the same respect. A convenient gust of wind sent it bobbing towards me, and I tossed it onto the shore beside my gloves.

"The water is surprisingly nice," I admitted. Valkyrie kicked herself away from me, and sat on the edge of the pool. Her green shirt had turned see-through in the water, and I could see the outline of her bra underneath. I doubted that she was aware of it. She noticed that I was manipulating the water and frowned.

"That's cheating."

"It's convenient. Just because you're terrible at water manipulation…" I trailed off, head tilted mockingly. She narrowed her eyes and pushed at the air, sending a wave over my head. When I surfaced, she was laughing so hard she was crying. I twisted my fingers in the water, changing the currents. This was deeper level stuff, that I hadn't gotten around to teaching Valkyrie yet. I watched her face as a tendril of water reached up from the pool, curled around her ankle, and pulled her into the mini-lake again.

She reached out for something to grab, and found my shoulder. I caught her as she was pushed up against me, and casually splashed a handful of water into her face to make my point. She coughed several times and then started to laugh again. She put both hands against my shoulders and started to push herself back towards the edge of the pool. Then she stopped. The laugh trailed off. Her hands rested lightly against my shoulder, her eyes locked on my face. They were wide, with something surprise and apprehension mixing in them. I watched as she hesitated.

She leaned towards me, the chocolate of her eyes filling my vision. She pressed her lips against my teeth, and that moment lasted forever. I couldn't believe how soft her lips were, how good they felt against my mouth. My arms were already around her from when I pulled her out of the water, and so I left them there, holding her against me. I didn't move, scared of ruining the moment. Honestly terrified that if I moved, if I tried to kiss her back, that she would suddenly come to her senses and realize that she was kissing a skeleton.

She abruptly pushed herself away from me. It was as though she had read my thoughts. She reached the edge of the pool and pulled herself out in one smooth movement. She backed away from me, a hand over her mouth. I stepped on top of the water, telling the surface of the pool to hold me. It did, and I took a step towards her. I wanted to say something, but I had nothing to say. Quite unexpectedly, all words had flown from my mind and I was absolutely helpless. Valkyrie's eyes were glistening with shocked tears. She backed away until she hit a tree, and then she turned.

I watched as she pushed her palms down and rose into the air. The wind lifted her over the trees and then she was gone. Valkyrie could fly. She had kissed me. And then she had run.

What just happened?

* * *

_A/N: Hello again. Well, I'm back. I totally appreciate all the reviewers! Thanks for the support, guys. People like you keep me writing. Keep reviewing...If you want to know what happens next. (Blackmail. An ugly, yet useful thing.)_

_Speaking of people who keep me writing... ticklethedragon1! Yes, I shall say it again! Ticklethedragon1. She is amazing, everyone. I will immortalize her in Author's Notes. _

_Coming Next-_

_Blue: In which Skulduggery relies on synonyms, we find out why mages can't fly to the moon, and three classic words turn into two words, as is often the case between good friends. _


	5. Chapter 5 (Blue)

I was sitting on the roof of Valkyrie's house, Gordon's old mansion. I was facing the west, where two weeks ago we had watched the sunset. The sun was behind me now, and my shadow stretched across the black-tile roof. The sky I was watching was a beautiful egg-shell blue, delicate and thin.

I folded my legs carefully, and leaned my head against a chimney. It had been two days since I had seen Valkyrie. Two days since she had kissed me and then run. Since then, I had been unable to think about anything but her lips, and how soft they had been. Meditation didn't work. The memories wouldn't leave me. So here I was, sitting on her roof, staring at the endlessly blue sky.

She wasn't here. I couldn't find her anywhere. She hadn't talked to any of her friends, hadn't slept in her bed. I hadn't let myself think about 'what if's. Detectives never begin a sentence with the words 'what if'. But there are a hundred synonyms that my mind was all too happy to supply.

Maybe she wasn't coming back. I wonder if she's hurt. Suppose she had gotten herself into trouble. Perhaps she's waiting for me to find her. But how can I find her if she's determined not to be found? I know that she's still in Ireland. She'd never be able to leave. She loves the magic of this place too much. I could search every town, every centimeter of this country. Strangely enough, this idea seemed plausible to me. After all, I had all the time in the world.

I rose, leaning against the red brick chimney. Then I conjured the wind, letting it sweep around me and lift me into the air. I pushed it to bring me higher, far above the Earth. Ireland began to shrink beneath me, and I still was rising. As the air started to thin, so did the support it offered me, and then all the wind was gone, and I was falling. I let go of control and tumbled downwards, holding onto my hat.

The horizon line flipped and spun, as I twisted over and over in the air. Earth and sky mixed together, and it ceased to matter which way was up and which way was down. And then the ground was rising up to meet me, and I snapped my hands downwards. A gust of air sent me spiraling back up, and this time I steadied myself in the air, straightening my suit. I was hovering a hundred feet in the air, over Gordon's mansion. A faint breeze was blowing around me, which I quickly diverted when it threatened to blow off my hat.

The fall had been exhilarating and new. My mind seemed to be working faster, and if I had a heart, it would have been pounding against my ribs. As I drifted slightly, the wind pushing me to the west, I felt all-powerful. Observing my domain, higher than anything else over Ireland. My beautiful country. _Beautiful._ And through that word, Valkyrie infiltrated my mind once more, sending delicate vines around all of my other thoughts, distracting me from my earlier reflections. I didn't mind.

Beautiful Valkyrie. I missed her. In the last years, we had gone everywhere together. We spent the night at her house or at mine, with only a wall between us as I made phone calls and she slept. During the day we were tracking down villains together, the unstoppable duo. I hadn't realized how much time we had spent together until that time became spent alone. And then I was painfully aware of her missing laughter, insults, advise, concern, and her penchant for raising Cain.

I looked down at the forest below me, the interlocking branches of the trees. The clearings were like spots on the back of a monster or animal, round circles clear of branches and leaves. And in one of them, I could see someone lying down, dressed in blue. Her dark hair was spread over the grass, and her arms were stretched out to her sides as though she were embracing the entire sky.

Valkyrie.

I let the air drop me, and used my arms to control my fall, directing myself towards her. At the last moment before I hit the ground, I softened the air and stepped onto the grass as gently as stepping off a stairway. Valkyrie was lying in the middle of the clearing, eight feet away. She didn't turn her head or acknowledge me. I walked to stand beside her, and looked down at her.

She kept her eyes fixed on the clear sky, and didn't meet my gaze. After a few seconds, I sat down next to her. "Valkyrie," I said. She didn't answer me, or give any indication that she had heard me. I pressed on, not knowing what else to do. "I want you to talk to me. What are you doing?"

She finally turned her head and looked directly at me, but her smile was vague and false. "I'm looking at the sky. Isn't it beautiful?" I tilted my head upwards. This section was darker than the view from the roof.

"It is beautiful." There was a few seconds of silence, before I decided to just begin the inevitable conversation. "Valkyrie, I know that you don't want to, but we have to talk about what happened. I miss you, and we aren't going to be able to figure things out without talking about them." She turned away from me again, and went back to staring at the sky. Just when I thought she was going to ignore me again, she spoke.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, and now I've messed everything up." She sounded angry, and hopeless. She pushed herself to sitting and wrapped her arms around herself, still not facing me. "I didn't mean to. It was just…you were..." I waited, and when it was clear she wasn't going to elaborate, I spoke.

"Valkyrie, you have nothing to be sorry for. And you haven't messed anything up. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. It was _you_ who ran away." She turned her head towards me. She was surprised, confused, and still angry, although it seemed that it was directed at herself rather than me. Two theories began to separate and form in my mind.

First, that she had kissed me out of curiosity, and then realized I wasn't pushing her away, and ran. Second, she had kissed me on impulse, out of attraction, and then realized the possible implications and ran. Whereas the second theory fit her current emotions, the first theory fit her reaction to the kiss, and was more probable. Infinitely so.

"I just want things to go back to the way they were. Can we just pretend it never happened?" Valkyrie asked. I hesitated. Theory one or theory two? Curiosity or attraction? If it were curiosity, the best thing to say would be yes. But if it were attraction, this would be a good time to tell her how I felt.

"That depends on why you kissed me," I said finally. Valkyrie bit her lip, and looked away for a second.

"Why that moment? I don't know. Because we were already so close, because your arms were around me and... I wanted to." She looked surprised that she had said that. But now that she had, she just continued on. "I wanted to so much, and then I did. And it felt strange, but it felt wonderful, because I was kissing Skulduggery Pleasant. And then I realized what I was doing, what this meant for our friendship. I needed to think. So I ran." She bit her lip, flushing as her mind caught up to her mouth.

I leaned closer to her, making her focus on my face. Or, lack of a face. "The only thing it means for our friendship is what you want it to mean. If you want it to go back to the way things were…" I hesitated, unable to say it, but I had to. "Then they will. And if you want to never see me again, I won't look for you. And if that kiss meant something to both of us, then maybe change isn't a bad thing."

I could see that Valkyrie was still trying to figure out that last line. "Skulduggery."

"Yes."

"Are you saying that you liked the kiss?"

I could have laughed. She was choosing to focus on whether I had _enjoyed_ the kiss. Of course I enjoyed it. It had only made the tingling in my bones burn hotter, but I had liked it anyway. "It was world shattering," I said, and she smiled.

Then she was kissing me, her lips soft and gentle. This time I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. The kiss became more demanding, and I parted my teeth slightly, the only help I could give her. She shifted her weight against me, and I let us fall backwards against the grass.

She rolled off of me, ending the contact, and there was a moment of silence. Valkyrie was breathing unevenly, getting her breath back. She looked over at me and smiled uncertainly. "Wow," she whispered. I had no response.

She shifted her body closer to me, and I wrapped an arm around her so that our sides were touching. She stared up. "Look, Skulduggery. Isn't it beautiful?" She pointed to a single cloud, in the blue sky. A little puff of cotton, it moved slowly across our line of vision.

"It is," I said. And it was. We watched it sink behind the trees, and then kept looking at the light blue of the sky. "Valkyrie?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I know," she said, and kissed me.

* * *

_A/N: Hello, hello, I'm so sorry about the time gap between chapters! The truth is... that I lost the memory stick that had this story on it! And then I took forever to rewrite it, and...Anyways, I'm sorry. I'm here now. And thank you to the reviewers that reminded me to actually rewrite this. Um, my story kind of took a turn to the fluff here, but who am I to fight the random cuteness of Valduggery? _

_Ticklethedragon1 is still amazing... Even if she didn't edit this particular chapter. _

_Coming next-_

_Indigo- In which roses are random colors, I design an awesome dress, and China freaks out!_


	6. Chapter 6 (Indigo)

_**Indigo. **_

I was nervous. Why was I nervous? I was _never_ nervous. I had fought in three wars, fought Gods, traveled to alternate dimensions and had lost my head. During some of these experiences I had felt pain, yes. I had felt fear. But this feeling of snakes around my bones, this dreadful anticipation, was new and unpleasant. I stood in my walk-in closet, facing myself in the mirror. I looked good, dashing, handsome. The black suit made my bones seem whiter, and in the whiteness, my eye sockets were hollow and dark. If it was the skeletal look I wanted to accent, it was perfect.

I settled a hat onto my head, letting it fall into its usual angle. I picked up a pair of black leather gloves, and then, after a moment, took them off. She liked my hands…She kept telling me that I shouldn't wear gloves so much. I settled my thoughts, straightened my tie, checked my car keys, and left the house. I slid into the driver's seat of the Bentley and began the route I could drive with my eyes closed. On the passenger seat, wrapped in cellophane, were nine red roses. I glanced at them every few minutes, the feeling like something writhing around my bones returning.

I pulled up to the house, and got out of the car, stopping to grab the roses. I walked to the door, and rang the doorbell. This felt very strange. Usually, I entered doors one of four ways. I kicked them down, picked the locks, simply walked in, or skipped the door and came through the window. Announcing myself seemed almost ridiculous, but tradition was tradition.

Valkyrie Cain opened the door, and a smile spread across her face when she saw me, and the flowers. "Doors are for people with no imagination," she reminded me, and took the proffered flowers. She looked amazing, dark hair loose around her shoulders, and eyes accented by curving black lines. She put the roses on the table and then did a slow turn in front of me, holding out her arms to show off the dress.

It was a floor-length indigo gown, snug around her slim waist, then dropping in cascades to the floor. Hidden inside the fabric were small gems, that sparkled when the light hit them. She looked like a piece of the night sky. She ended facing me, her arms spread out. "What do you think?"

"You're absolutely stunning. I love the colour." She smiled, and I noticed that she wasn't wearing lipstick. That was surprising, but nice. I found the colour of red that most girls wore was too close to the colour of fresh blood. And Valkyrie's lips were perfect as they were.

"You look dashing. Shall we?" She gestured towards the door and hooked her arm into mine. I led her down the stairs and opened the car for her. She nodded to me in a mock of formal thanks, and slid into her seat. I closed the door and returned to the driver's side, turning the car around and heading back the way I came. Tonight was the bi-annual Sanctuary ball, and Valkyrie and I were going as a couple.

Valkyrie was biting her lip, so I knew that she was nervous as well. We had told Ghastly, Sara, and Fletcher, but as far as we could tell, no one else knew. It wasn't like we were consciously hiding it, we just weren't shouting it on the rooftops. There had been handholding at crime scenes, kissing on our days off, and spoiling each other with presents. It was a comfortable mix between a courtship and a modern couple, keeping both of us deliriously happy. This would be our first public event as anything more than friends. And we were here.

I helped Valkyrie out, and she took a deep breath. "Ready?" I asked, and she nodded firmly. "Then let's get this part over with." Linking arms, we walked to the front door of the Sanctuary. A man I had seen but never met was admitting the guests. "Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain," I told him. He nodded, pulled a small book from his pocket, and wrote down our names. They sank into the paper and vanished.

"And you are here as friends?" He asked, smiling greasily. I was about to correct him, but Valkyrie spoke first.

"We're here as a couple," she said, and smiled sweetly as the doorman did a double take. Our relationship had been a source of gossip and speculation for quite a while, and I happened to know that some of my friends had bets on whether we would end up as a couple. Valkyrie shifted a little closer to me, as if to make a point. After a moment of staring, the man started writing in his book again. Then he reached into the page, and pulled out two roses.

One was pure black, and was curled around a wristband. He handed it to me, and I slipped it onto Valkyrie's wrist. It matched the colour of my suit. The second rose was a deep indigo, and he gave it to Valkyrie. She pinned it to my lapel, and then laced her fingers through mine.

Now we were wearing each other's colours, an old tradition that marked out the singles from the couples. The black rose around her wrist meant that she was off-limits, and the rose over where my heart would be meant the same about me. I had never worn a rose to one of these functions before, and it was certain to draw a lot of gossip. I was used to the way word traveled inside the magical world, but I hoped that Valkyrie was prepared for the vultures to descend on the two of us.

The man with the notebook opened the door and we walked inside, still holding hands. It felt strange not to be wearing gloves, everything much more easily felt. There was a draft on the stairs we were walking down. I could feel it blowing through the bones that made up my palms. And I could feel the warmth of Valkyrie's hand against my bare bones. I tightened my grip, trying to reassure both of us. We came to another pair of doors at the bottom of the stairway, and I pushed them open.

The Sanctuary at Roarhaven was not pretty. It was dingy and all concrete, with very little light, and dirt on the floor. This did not look like the Sanctuary. It had been…transformed. The walls were a dazzling white, and the floor was gleaming marble. Differently coloured fabric was draped around the room, imitating the rainbow of dresses and people that were dancing below. The dance floor was full of people, twirling and switching partners in a traditional court dance.

To both sides of the dancers were rows of tables and chairs, where people could sit, who didn't have a partner, or couldn't dance, or didn't want to have fun. Ghastly looked up from his table and waved us over. I led Valkyrie to him, and we both slid into chairs. Ghastly raised an eyebrow at my rose.

"Going public?" He asked, surprised. I nodded, and Valkyrie held out her wrist corsage for him to see. "You look good together," he told us. "Uh-oh. Here comes Echo." I turned and saw a plump woman hurrying towards our table, her face a mask of makeup. Echo Flames was the primary gossiper of the Sanctuary, and there was now way that I was going anywhere near her, especially not with Valkyrie. "Come on," I said to my partner, and pulled her onto the dance floor casually. I had taught her to dance a year ago, and I hoped she would remember this particular waltz. I began to lead, and she fell into the familiar steps quickly.

As I spun her away from me, I glimpsed Echo sitting down across from Ghastly and beginning to question him. Then Valkyrie twirled back into my arms, and the dance ended to applause from the audience. There was a tap on my shoulder, and I let go of Valkyrie. She smiled at me, and then her gaze drifted to something behind me, and her eyes widened. I turned. China Sorrows had her charm turned all the way up. "Hello, Skulduggery."

She was beautiful. It was the sort of beauty that you thought you exaggerated in your memory. Then you saw her again, and it hit you like a fist in the ribs. Her dark eyes were sparkling in the light of the candelabras. Her lipstick, though, made her lips the focal part of her face, and I couldn't stop staring at them. For a moment, I drifted, lost in love. Then a hand closed around my hand.

Why wasn't I wearing gloves? Valkyrie had asked me not to wear them. _Valkyrie. _I pushed memories of her to the front of my mind, blocking out China. Her hold on my emotions wavered, then dissipated. She hadn't tried her magic on me like that in centuries. I let the memories of Valkyrie flow back into the rest of my thoughts, and looked at China again. She looked surprised, then her eyes narrowed. "What happened? Why are you doing this?" She asked. I stared at her for a moment, trying to make sense of the entire situation. We had exchanged a total of two civil conversations since the incident with Scorn. I refused to forgive her, but I had no qualms about using her. She was anxious to make up for her past mistakes, giving us the information we needed easily. But in all that time, I had given no indication that I _wanted _her. So why was she doing this now? And publicly?

"China, you're being unobservant," I said finally, and gestured at the rose on my suit. Her eyes widened, as she saw it for the first time. Her delicate hands curled into fists. Valkyrie was standing behind me, and I pulled her to stand next to me, her hand still gripping mine tightly. China stared at us, and at our joined hands.

"So, you and she finally got together. I thought it would be a few centuries. Have you abandoned all honor, Skulduggery? Have you forgotten her age?" Her voice was soft, but it traveled. In the silence between two dances, it filled the room. Heads were turning, a small space developing around us. Valkyrie's hand was nearly crushing my bones together. I didn't look at her, keeping my focus on China. She continued to speak, gesturing at Valkyrie. "Nineteen, Skulduggery. A child, even by mortal standards. In the magical world, an infant. Would you allow an eleven year old to be with a fifty year old? No. How many times her age are you? Twenty? More?"

Now the entire room was staring at us. China turned to them, spreading her arms. "Skulduggery Pleasant is four hundred and thirteen years old. A twenty year age gap is acceptable in our world. Even seventy years. But please tell me that we are _not _going to accept a three hundred and ninety-four year age gap!" People were whispering now, looking at us with new eyes. China was using her power to make them listen, make them want to accept what she was saying. "This relationship is _wrong. _In the human world, it would not be allowed to continue. The older person would be charged with sexually preying on the young. And will the Sanctuary accept this, blindly? Allow this to continue, this mockery of love?"

Heads began to move in nods, and I finally let myself look at Valkyrie. I had barely registered the anger on her face, before she stepped forwards and slapped China across her very pretty face.

"How dare you," she said quietly. "How dare you compare me to an infant. How dare you call me a _child. _You called our love a mockery. But what about you? Have you ever found a person that really loves you, when your magic isn't turned on?" China was staring at her, a red hand mark coming into focus on her cheek. Her mouth opened once, then closed. She was too shocked to be angry, but I could see it growing in her eyes. "No, you haven't," Valkyrie answered for her. Now she turned to the people who were shaking their heads, trying to get the residue of China's love-magic out of their minds. "If any love is a mockery, it's the kind you feel for China. So beautiful, yes, but she's as deceitful as a snake. Don't you see how she was working magic on all of you? Manipulating you. _I _will tell you the truth."

China was too angry to use her symbols. So she leaped at Valkyrie, her nails making bright lines against the younger woman's face. Valkyrie pushed her away, and I moved behind her, pulling up her hands and twisting them behind her back. Valkyrie smiled at me and turned to face the crowd again. "The truth is, that China wanted you to take Skulduggery away from me. Because she's jealous. Skulduggery was always the one that got away from her. I don't know if they were ever together, because I've never asked. Skulduggery's past has always been his own. But whether he left her, or turned her down, he hurt her pride. And pride is such a powerful thing, especially to pretty China dolls."

Valkyrie turned and sent a mocking smile in China's direction. China hissed through her lips and struggled against my hold, but I only tightened my grip on her wrists, keeping her hands away from her symbols. Valkyrie spread her arms to the crowd, as China had done earlier. Everyone was listening, whispering, shooting suspicious glances at the beautiful woman whose face was now twisted in hatred. They were believing Valkyrie. Her voice was strong and sure, and it commanded their attention. She was getting them on her side, without any magic at all. And she was wearing my rose while she did it. Pride was molten gold in my bones, filling me with warmth. _I _taught her. _I _love her.

"I am an adult in the human world," Valkyrie continued. "I am an adult in this world as well, since I passed the surge. This means that I have control over my life. Where I go, what I do, who I love. And I love Skulduggery. Nobody has a say in that. Our love is not wrong, it's real, and we want you to accept that." She finished, and in the dead silence that followed, took a neat little bow. Ghastly started to clap, and the crowd followed. Amid the applause, Valkyrie turned and kissed me on the teeth, ignoring China between us. I heard someone whistle, but I didn't care. I was proud to be wearing her indigo rose, proud to belong to her. Valkyrie.

* * *

_A/N: Hello again! Thanks so much for the reviews... I think I may be addicted. I apologize for the fact that I'm no longer updating on a schedule. I can only promise that I won't be abandoning this story, no matter how long I take between chapters. So bear with me, okay? And... reviews make me update quicker! (hint, hint) _

_I actually have a question for you all! I have the rest of the story planned out in my head, but I am unsure as to what to do with the last chapter. I'm either going to write a twenty-years-later epilogue, or write an M rated chapter. Or both. I could always do both. So... What do you guys think? Should I stick with T, and just do the epilouge, or should I do Chapter 9 (Black)? According to ticklethedragon1, the most awesome person in existence, I should do both. Agree? Disagree? Let me know!_

_Coming next: _

_Violet- In which lies and truths are intermingled, Skulduggery protests the use of the word 'kinky,' and parents are consulted. _


	7. Chapter 7 (Violet)

_**Violet.**_

"I can't do this," Valkyrie said. She was leaning her head against the window of the Bentley, staring at her parent's house. "What was I thinking?" I knew how she felt. I wasn't overjoyed about the upcoming conversation, either. But it had to be done.

"You were right, they have a right to know. They're suspicious, predictably. Two years of dating a mystery boy they haven't met once. If you keep lying to them, they'll know, and they'll eventually find out on their own. It's better to break the news to them in a controlled environment, right?"

Valkyrie hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. You're right. But my dad is going to be so mad… You know how he is about this sort of stuff. They're going to be so upset that I was lying to them… Oh my god, this is impossible. I can't do this." I got out of the car, went to the passenger side, opened her door, and bent down so that we were face to face.

"We'll take it in stages. First magic, then the reflection, then me. We'll be fine. They will understand why you had to hide it from them. I'd offer to take the blame, but I'm still a bit sore about you holding my hat hostage, so…" She laughed, and I offered her my hand before she could fall back into doubt. She took it and pulled herself out of the car, then led the way up the steps. While she knocked on the door, I tapped the symbols on my collarbones, and felt a false face flow over my skull. Valkyrie looked at me and made a face. I switched it, and she gave me a thumbs-up. Her mother opened the door, and Valkyrie turned to face her.

"Steph!" She cried, and pulled Valkyrie into a hug. I'd forgotten that I'd have to call her Stephanie. I sincerely hoped this wasn't a big mistake. Once she released Valkyrie, her mother turned to me, eyes sweeping me up and down.

"Hello, I'm…" I suddenly realized that they would probably remember my name from Gordon's funeral, all those years ago. Searching for a name, I finished the sentence without thinking. "Jack." I smiled carefully, and felt the façade follow the order for once. At least it wasn't misbehaving today. Valkyrie was looking at me from the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything.

"I'm Melissa. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She glanced at Valkyrie as she said this, and held out a hand. I took it, and she looked straight into my eyes as we shook hands, clearly sizing me up. I hoped she couldn't feel the bones through the thin leather of my gloves. She released me after a long moment, and ushered us into the house. Her father was waiting for us in the living room. I shook his hand as well.

"My name is Jack," I said again, savoring the feeling of the words. I hadn't used that name in centuries, not since I chose my first magical name.

"Desmond Edgley," her father said, then went and hugged his daughter. We all sat, Valkyrie and I beside each other, facing her parents. "So, Jack, what is it that you do?" Her father asked.

"I'm studying criminology," I replied smoothly. Valkyrie and I had had several conversations about cover stories, wanting to lie as little as possible. At the end of the day, her parents would know the whole truth, but we wanted to ease them into it as much as possible. "But I'm already apprenticed at the detective office."

Valkyrie put her hand over mine, a causal gesture that signified to her parents that she was serious about me. "That's where we met," she said. Her mother smiled, leaning closer to her husband.

"That's wonderful," Melissa said. "Now, Jack, we've heard very little about you. You're going to have to fill us in." I hesitated for a moment, then started to talk, mixing truth with the necessary lies.

"Not very much to tell, really. Born in a small town about ten miles from Dublin. Moved here as a teen. I'd always been a strong believer in justice, and I liked old detective shows, so after reading Sherlock Holmes, I made it my life goal to become the greatest detective in Europe. My favorite color is green, I don't like texting, I never walk anywhere, and I loved your daughter from the first time I met her. It took us a while to realize we could be more than friends, though." I could sense Valkyrie beside me, trying to figure out how much of what I said was the truth. She leaned forwards, claiming her parent's attention.

"Mom, dad, I have to admit that this wasn't a social trip. There's a couple things that we have to tell you. And I know that a lot of it is going to sound really strange, but just listen, and I can prove it all at the end." Melissa and Desmond exchanged confused looks, and then turned to us, apprehensive.

_Two hours later. _

"Well, I think that went well," I said. Valkyrie shot me a look.

"My mom practically went into shock.

"At least she didn't faint. Unlike someone I know."

"Hey, I was twelve!"

I laughed softly and leaned back. I was at her house, beside her on the couch. We had left her parent's house fifteen minutes ago, and were trying to recover from the difficult conversation we had just had.

"I think they had the most trouble with the fact that I was dating a skeleton. I guess it's kind of kinky, isn't it?" Valkyrie grinned at me.

"Valkyrie, I strongly object to that word being used to describe our relationship. I never want to hear you say it again, in fact."

She sighed dramatically. "Fine, I won't call _this _kinky." She turned and kissed me, rolling over in the same movement so that our hips were touching as she continued the kiss. After two years, she was _really _good at this. When her lips were against me, I could almost forget that I couldn't kiss her back. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer, feeling every part of her move against me. She trailed her fingers across my back, her touch feather-light, teasing. It was her way of expressing amusement without ending the kiss.

She ran her hands around my shoulders, unbuttoning my shirt to trail her fingers along my collarbones. Valkyrie broke the kiss and focused on the exposed ribs under my white shirt. She gently curled her hand around one of them.

"I can't believe that someone having their hand inside you doesn't hurt," she said, sliding her hand along the curve of my ribcage. I shivered, barely managing to speak.

"Why, does having someone's hand inside _you _hurt?" I asked, letting humor flow into my voice. She smacked me lightly on the side of the head with her free hand.

"That wasn't even funny."

"Well, it made _me _smile."

She sighed and kissed me again, probably to shut me up. As much as I was enjoying this, there was something I had to do, and the longer I stayed here, the less likely it was that I would leave.

"Valkyrie, I've got to go," I said reluctantly. She looked at me, surprised. "I'm sorry. I'll be back soon, I promise." I could see suspicion in the look she was giving me, and guilt made me look away. I had put this off for too long already.

"Okay," she said finally, after it became clear that I wasn't going to elaborate on where I was going. "Have fun."

That was a laugh. Fun. "Not likely, but thank you," I told her, and buttoned my shirt. I pushed myself up from the couch, and headed to the door. Valkyrie followed me into the hall and leaned against the wall as I adjusted my hat.

"Be quick, okay? And will you tell me where you were once you get back?" I hesitated, uncertain of whether it was the right time to tell her. Her eyes narrowed, and I gave in.

"Yes, I will. It's a surprise, not a secret." She smiled, but I could see that she was still upset. I wanted to stay and comfort her, but this really couldn't wait any longer. So I left. I _really _wasn't looking forward to this. I reluctantly put the Bentley in reverse, turned around, switched gears, and left Valkyrie's house behind.

I pulled up to the same house that I had left only forty-five minutes earlier. I got out, and knocked. Desmond Edgley opened the door, his eyes widening as he saw me again, sans façade. He glanced around the street nervously, checking to see if there was anyone watching. Then he ushered me inside the house, closing the door quickly. He turned to face me, giving me my first look at his clothes. He was wearing a purple, striped shirt. And orange plaid pants. I congratulated myself for taking Valkyrie away from this man's fashion sense in time to save her natural style.

"Melissa is in bed. Where is Stepha-Valkyrie? What do you want?" He sounded tired, and slightly suspicious. It wasn't a good time, but perhaps it was the best time.

"Valkyrie is at her house. Mr. Edgley, I came here to ask you something." He looked at me with a strangely blank look on his face, then led me into the living room.

"Ask away," he told me, and sat in the chair opposite me. I leaned forwards, folding my hands together.

"I love your daughter. Always have. First as a friend, then as something more. She loves me too, I trust her when she says that. We've been together for two years, and I don't see us splitting up. I can't imagine a day without her, and I want to ask her to marry me. But I wanted to ask for your blessing first." Desmond blinked twice, then leaned back in his chair. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments, then spoke without looking at me.

"Asking her father's blessing. How old-fashioned of you." I suppose it is. But asking her first would have felt wrong to me. Showing my age, I guess. That was a fact we hadn't seen fit to share with her parents. Even people in the magical world had trouble accepting the age gap, and we'd decided that there was no use in making them more uncomfortable with our relationship.

"Old-fashioned is romantic these days. Tradition is important," I reply carefully.

"Indeed. I meant to ask how old you are, by the way. It's hard to tell. Lucky you, to not have to worry about wrinkles."

"Actually, it's not just being a skeleton. Mages don't age at the same rate. Valkyrie will look twenty-one, until she's four hundred," I dodged the original question as best I could.

Her father raised his eyebrows. "Immortal as well as magic. Impressive." Valkyrie had talked about her father a lot when she was younger. She had painted him as absent-minded, spacey, like Valkyrie herself on a bad day. The man who finally met my gaze was not the father she had described. He was angry, I could see it in the back of his eyes. The sort of anger that stemmed from fear. I didn't understand it, but I saw it. This would make his positive response harder to get.

"This isn't about magic. There will be more explaining later, as much as you want. Valkyrie has made the decision to trust you, and I respect that. But what I'm asking you has _nothing _to do with magic. It has to do with my love for Valkyrie, and hers for me, and yours for her." I watched Desmond draw in a deep breath.

"You think she'll be happy with you for four hundred years?" I hesitated, deliberating between modesty and honesty. Then I nodded. Desmond let the breath out.

"How long have you known each other?" He asked.

"Almost ten years."

"And how many fights have you had with each other during that time?"

"I lost count after the first two days."

He grinned fully, showing me most of his teeth. "That's my girl. I can tell you're an honest man, and I appreciate that. If you think she'll be happy with you, I do too. So go on, ask her. With my blessing. When's the wedding going to be?" I laughed.

"She hasn't said yes yet."

"She will, you'll see. Break a leg, son-in-law." I tilted my head in a smile that he didn't recognize, and stood.

"Thank you, Desmond." He looked up at me, and there was a vacant happiness in his expression that covered the anger, hiding it inside.

"Call me Des. Only Melissa calls me Desmond, when she's upset at me." He rose as well, shook my hand, and then I left.

I didn't go straight to Valkyrie's. Instead, I went to my house, and headed upstairs to the bedroom-turned-living room. I knelt and brought a fist down on the floor, popping out the floorboard. Underneath was a small, gold plated box. I opened it and winced. I hadn't gone through this for seventy years. Fighting the temptation every day, knowing that would hurt, and here I was.

In my hands was an ink sketch, on yellowed paper. It depicted two smiling people, side by side. The woman had long, dark hair, and was wearing a long dress with puffed sleeves. She was holding flowers; a bridal bouquet. The artist had paid special attention to her lips, sketching them as a thousand small lines that created one shape together.

The man beside her was drawn with his arm around her waist. The ink shadowed his cheekbones and dark hair. His face was made of angles, and would have looked severe. But a smile curved his lips, disrupting the pattern of harsh lines. It made him look younger, and the artist had captured the light in his eyes perfectly.

I traced the lines the ink pen had left, running my hands over the grooves. The picture had been drawn on my wedding day, in the 17th century. Was it really that long ago? Had it really been that long? It seemed like yesterday. I could still see her hair shining in the sun, and how beautiful she was as she was led down the aisle towards me. But it couldn't have been yesterday. Yesterday, I had been with Valkyrie. We had interrogated a vampire, and watched Chaplin's movie City Lights. I thought she'd be bored, but she laughed and gasped through the entire movie, the sound of her breath and her laughter filling the house. I put aside the ink sketch, and pulled out the thing underneath. The small dogwood box fit perfectly into the palm of my hand. I looked at it for a second, then opened it. The inside was crushed violet velvet. The golden ring almost glowed in the light, and I took it into my hands.

It had taken a lot of work to find this again, after the war had ended, and I'd been something resembling myself again. I'd tracked it to New York, and there I had met Gordon Edgley, on my way home from buying it back. We'd unexpectedly hit it off after I'd saved him from an ugly bar fight. And at his funeral, I'd seen the girl with dark hair and serious eyes, standing over his grave. I looked at the ring in my hand, and realized that it was the reason I'd met Valkyrie at all. So I put the ring back into the box, tucked the box into my pocket, and drove to Valkyrie's house.

I tried the door, but it was locked. She must really be upset. I considered going in a window, but if she'd bothered to lock the door, she'd probably done the same to the windows. So I knocked and waited. She took her sweet time getting to the door, but it eventually opened, and she let me come in. She walked away, and I followed behind. She led me into the living room and then stopped, still facing away from me.

"Well? What called you away so abruptly?" She asked the wall.

"Valkyrie, face me." I waited for her to turn. She did so slowly, eyes drifting up to fix on my eye sockets. Oh, she was _not _happy with me. "Valkyrie, you are an amazing person, and I am so lucky to have you. I love you more than even myself, and that's pretty spectacular." She didn't even smile. Something was wrong. "I will love you forever, and that's-"

"I don't need the speech," she interrupted. "Just tell me that you're splitting up with me, and be done with it."

"What?" I can honestly say that I was taken completely off-guard.

"You've been deliberating over something for weeks. You've been really quiet, you've avoided kissing me, and you've seemed distant, like your mind's elsewhere. I've been waiting for you to just tell me, and you haven't. So just say it."

"That's not what I-" I started, but she cut me off viciously, body tense, voice raised, hands moving to accent her point.

"Don't waste our time with pretty words. It's an ugly thing, and it's going to hurt no matter what you say, so just-"

"Valkyrie Cain, will you marry me?" I had dropped to one knee and was holding the box open to her. She went silent, staring at the ring, gold against the violet.

"What?" She asked, mirroring my earlier confusion.

"Will you marry me?" I repeated. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes fixed on the box. Slowly, her gaze lifted to my face, meeting my eye sockets. When she finally spoke, it was hesitant and unsure.

"This is what you've been hiding?" I nodded. She bit her lip, looked at the ring, then back at me. Then her expression slowly spread into a smile. "You're crazy. Yes. Yes. Skulduggery Pleasant, I will marry you." Her smile widened as she spoke, and it sparkled in her eyes. I reached into the box and took out the ring. I tucked the box back into my pocket, and took her hand in mine. The smile faded into sudden seriousness as the cold metal touched her skin. She watched as I slipped the ring onto her finger and stood, facing her. She was looking at the hand I still held. Out of nowhere, she grabbed my shoulders and kissed me. She released me and waved around the hand with the ring.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. I can't believe you proposed in the middle of that!" I pulled her against me, and spoke softly into her ear

"It was the only way I could think of to make you shut up."

"Bastard!" She cried, pushing me away from her, but I could hear the smile in her voice. In one movement, she pushed me against the wall and kissed me again, forcefully. She ran her tongue lightly along my teeth, and I relaxed between her and the wall.

Once she felt me lean back, she reached up and stole my hat. She danced away quickly, and settled into a fighting stance. I sighed, the sound incomplete without the sensation of air rushing out of my lungs.

"You'd rather fight than kiss, really?" Valkyrie smiled at me and settled my hat on her head, bringing up her fists. "Alright, you asked for it."

Thirty seconds later, my hat was back where it belonged, and Valkyrie was back where _she _belonged, in my arms.

* * *

_A/N: Good to be back... I think this might be my longest chapter yet. _

_I'm leaning towards doing the Black chapter as an optional M-rated chapter, that people can skip if they're not comfortable with it, then writing the epilogue for everyone. Sound good? More opinions needed!_

_Coming next:_

_White- In which tuxedos are worn, Valkyrie refuses to wear a veil, and vows are made. _


	8. Chapter 8

**_White._**

Skeletons look good in tuxedos. I believe this should be universally acknowledged. But then again, I haven't seen many skeletons in tuxedos. So it should just be recognized that this certain skeleton looks _very _good in a tuxedo. And there I was, standing in front of a floor-length mirror, tying my bow-tie. Best looking skeleton I'd ever seen. Ghastly walked in and smiled at me.

"I can't believe you're actually doing this."

"Of course I am. Have you got the rings?" He nodded and patted his breast pocket. "Thank you for the tuxedo," I added. "Perfect as always." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Don't thank me until you've seen her dress." I laughed, and slipped a pocket watch into my suit, leaving the gold chain showing. Everything was accounted for, except for one thing.

Ghastly handed me the hat, and I held it out to admire. My usual style in black, with a thin white ribbon tied around it. I put it on, and felt complete. Almost. I hadn't seen Valkyrie all day. The women-folk had locked her away in the name of wedding preparations, and I missed her. Ghastly was saying something, and I turned from the mirror to focus on him. He had his head slightly to one side, waiting for an answer. I replayed the last few seconds, and made out the question.

"I've always been ready," I replied, and walked out of the room. Ghastly walked beside me, through the hall, down the stairs, and outside. Gordon's backyard had undergone a transformation. There were rows of pretty white chairs on the lawn, and the chairs were filled with people. They turned to look at me as I came into view. My gaze was fixed on the little stone porch where Gordon had dabbled in astronomy, around twenty years ago, for a few years. It had been turned into an altar. A white arch had been erected over top, and it was draped in pale paper flowers. It was picturesque and dreamlike, with a fragility that made the whole world seem breakable, as though an errant breeze would shatter it.

I took my place at the altar, with Ghastly standing behind me. Valkyrie's mother was in the first row, and she waved at me. I nodded to her, and then there was an expectant silence. Erskine Ravel stood at the altar, hands clasped solemnly. And then the music began. The crowd hummed along happily, and the bridesmaids entered, stunning in light green dresses. Sara, Crystal, Nyxa, and Never, were an assembly of old and new friends. Behind them came little Alice, tossing petals into the air with enthusiasm, and a large grin. As the bridesmaids took their seats, Valkyrie stepped into the sunlight.

According to tradition, I hadn't seen her dress, and I now understood what Ghastly had meant. It was obviously modeled after the dresses of the 1800s. Old-fashioned, but not from the era of my first wedding. She had refused to wear a veil, as I had heard from Ghastly, so her long hair tumbled loose around her shoulders, dark against the purity of her dress. She was carrying a bouquet of white roses, tied with a black ribbon to match my suit. I could tell that she was nervous, and I couldn't blame her. But when she looked up and saw me, she smiled.

Her father was at her elbow, unassuming and barely noticeable next to his daughter. She was beautiful. I'd never seen her wear white, she hated it, but it looked amazing on her, accenting her dark hair and eyes. Before I knew it, she was facing me, close enough to touch. She was trying to be solemn, but a smile kept springing up, and eventually, she stopped fighting it. Erskine stepped forwards, calling the audience's attention.

"We are called here today to witness the marriage of Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant. According to their wishes, this ceremony will be a mixture of mortal and sorcerer traditions, because they're unique that way. To begin, if anyone has a justifiable reason why they shouldn't get married, they should speak now or forever hold their peace. And keep in mind Skulduggery will probably shoot anyone that tries to stop the ceremony."

He left a short silence, and when nobody spoke, he continued. "Desmond Edgley will now speak." I watched Valkyrie's father step forwards and nervously adjust his tie before speaking.

"Traditionally in both mortal and sorcerer marriages, at this point I would give my daughter away to Skulduggery Pleasant. We have chosen to skip this section, because I'm not letting go of Valkyrie entirely, and besides, she's not mine to give away. So we're just going straight to the vows, but that doesn't mean I don't support this marriage. I believe my daughter is the happiest she's ever been, and that's enough for any father." He sat back down as the audience applauded. Ravel stepped forward and faced me. Everyone fell silent, and into the expectant hush, Ravel spoke.

"Skulduggery Pleasant, do you take Valkyrie Cain for your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, comfort, and cherish her from this day forwards?"

"I do," I said easily. The words were short, and over too quickly. Ravel turned to Valkyrie and made the mirror question to her.

"I do," she said strongly, as though daring someone to challenge her. Nobody did. Ravel faced the audience.

"As has always been sorcerer tradition, and popularized in modern mortal society, both Skulduggery and Valkyrie have written their own vows. Skulduggery?" I could feel dozens of eyes on me, waiting, but I ignored them all and focused on Valkyrie.

"Valkyrie Cain, I vow to protect you from all harm in all forms, to the best of my ability. I promise to respect you, your decisions, and your fears. I promise to let you chose your own path, walk it beside you, and catch you when you falter. I promise to let you beat me in chess occasionally, and maybe, someday, in a fight. I vow to help you, guide you, follow you, and love you, until I cease to exist on this or any other plane of existence."

The audience applauded loudly. Valkyrie had a wide smile on her face, and her eyes were glistening. When the audience died down, she spoke.

"Skulduggery Pleasant, I vow to watch your back in every aspect of life. I promise to accept all pieces of you, every facet of your confusing personality. I promise to never go to bed angry, or keep secrets from you. I promise to never let you forget who you are, even if you don't see yourself clearly. I vow to stand beside you and behind you, forgive what you cannot, remember what you forget, and love you until I'm incapable of thought, and after."

The people around us applauded again, and I could see tears glistening in the sunlight. Valkyrie and I stared at each other, her smile eager and joyful, my head tilted in pride and love. Ravel stepped between us, interrupting my line of vision.

"Does the best man have the rings?" Ghastly stepped forwards and put the golden bands into Erskine's outstretched hand.

"Who is casting for the bride?" Erskine asked.

"I am," Sara said, stepping forwards.

"And for the groom?"

"I am." Ghastly stepped out to stand beside me. Ravel held the ring out to Ghastly and he took it, carefully offering it to me in his open hand.

"Skulduggery Pleasant, with this ring, you join yourself to Valkyrie Cain, irrevocably and eternally. I give you my blessing and my magic to form this bond, and offer it of my own free will. Do you accept?"

"I do," I said for the second time, and took the ring. I could feel Ghastly's magic inside the metal, warming it to body temperature. I turned to Valkyrie, and took her hand lightly. "With this ring, I join myself to you, irrevocably and eternally. I complete these vows of my own free will. Do you accept?"

"I do," Valkyrie said, and I slipped the ring onto her finger. This was an uncertain moment. The rings formed an emotional and magical bond, which had never been done with a skeleton before. It was risky. Valkyrie gasped. Her eyes closed, and opened again, staring at me as her tears overflowed and rolled down her cheeks. "Skulduggery, you're beautiful," she said, and her voice was full of wonder. Her words were swept away as Ravel handed Sara the other ring.

Valkyrie accepted Sara's magic to make the bond, and I accepted her vows. She took my hand in hers, and put the ring onto my bare bone. The gold sparkled against the white, and then shrunk to fit me. Suddenly, sensations swept through me. A heartbeat. Breath, rushing in and out. I could feel it. Pride, happiness, a hint of nerves, and none of it was mine. I was feeling Valkyrie's emotions, and she was feeling mine. She didn't let go of my hand, and Ravel made his final pronouncement from behind us.

"With these rings, you are bound of your own free will, with the power of love, magic, and matrimony. You have done so under the blessing and the witness of all those gathered here today. You may seal your vows with a kiss."

So I pulled Valkyrie close to me, and she leaned her head up to kiss me, carefully, as though I were fragile. At the same time I felt her lips on my bones, I felt my bones against her teeth. I could feel how nice it felt for her to have my arms around her. I tightened my grip, and felt her heartbeat pick up a little.

And then it was over, and she was looking at me with wide, shining eyes, and I all I could feel was love, and I could hear the crowd's applause, and Ravel was saying "I present to you the married couple, Mr. And Mrs. Pleasant Cain!" but no one is listening to him.

The rest of the wedding was a blur. Sara caught Valkyrie's bouquet, and I felt her hope for Sara and Fletcher as though it were my own. We danced all day, and in the evening, we went out for dinner, and listened to embarrassing stories told about us. Eventually, I stood, knowing that Ghastly was drinking too much, and was likely to tell the banshee story if I didn't leave soon.

"I hate to stop the party, but Valkyrie and I have a ten o'clock plane." Everyone laughed and got up to say good-bye. They all knew where we were going; only Valkyrie was going to be surprised. I led her out to the Bentley, and waved good-bye to our friends as we drove off. Valkyrie leaned back as I drove, her smile glowing. "I'm Mrs. Pleasant Cain," she exclaimed. "Valkyrie Pleasant Cain." I nodded.

"And I'm Mr. Cain Pleasant. Lovely." I took my focus off the road to tilt a smile at Valkyrie, feeling her renewed excitement. The feeling made me curious. I could feel her heartbeat, and her life, but what could she feel from me? I asked as much, and she paused thoughtfully before answering.

"I can feel this weird magnetism, like I'm being held together by more than muscle. And I can feel this tingling sensation over my skin, it makes everything feel weird. I guess that's your aura. Which I can see again, by the way." I remembered how Darquess had been able to see and manipulate my invisible essence.

"You can see it again? What does it look like?" Valkyrie looked me up and down, frowning slightly.

"Well, it's sort of like a mood ring, I think. Different colours come and go as you feel them. You've got a lot of blue and purple right now, but there's a spiral of black right here." She reached out a hand and brushed it across my ribcage, curling her fingers into something I couldn't see. I couldn't see it, but I felt it.

A shot of fire and pleasure shot through my body, and I made a sound that was equivalent to a gasp. Valkyrie cried out faintly, feeling it with me through the rings. She pulled back her hand, and I tried to pull my focus back onto the road.

"What was that?" Valkyrie asked, her breathing loud in the lack of mine. "That was amazing!"

"I'm not entirely sure," I said. "But I agree with your assessment." _Amazing _didn't even begin to cover it. I hadn't felt anything like that in a long time. Centuries, in fact. My attention was traitorously wandering. If that had just been a caress, what would it feel like if Valkyrie dug her fingers into the aura until she reached bone? Valkyrie's breathing got rougher beside me, and I winced, remembering that I was transferring all my emotions to her. I could feel her reaction to my thoughts. She wanted to try it, she was looking forward to it, but trying to contain herself.

My hand found hers, and we laced our fingers together. She leaned her head against the window, pushing her emotions down, and I did the same while focusing on the road. Eventually, once we were both reasonably calm, I spoke.

"There's a dress in the back. I assumed you wouldn't want to get onto the plane in a wedding dress, so I brought it for you. You can get changed in the car, I promise to keep my eyes on the road."

"You don't have eyes," Valkyrie said, but I heard the sound of a zipper being undone, and felt her relief at being able to breathe freely again. "Jeez, that dress was like a corset!" True to my word, I kept my focus on the road, catching movement, black fabric, and skin at the corner of my awareness. I could feel playful happiness coming from her, as she slipped into the dress I had brought. "Okay, you can look now."

I glanced over and tilted my head to admire her. Black was the colour she looked best in, the most familiar thing to see her wearing. "You're beautiful," I said honestly, and I felt her pride-happiness-embarrassment, saw her cheeks flush with it.

"Thank you," she said, and changed the subject. "So, will you tell me where we're going? None of the bridesmaids would tell me. So much for my friends."

"We're going to Italy," I replied. "For our honeymoon."

* * *

_A/N: Hello, everyone. I'm back...finally. This chapter gave me a fair bit of trouble, and I'm still not quite happy with it, but I don't want to over-work it. My beta (the extraordinary ticklethedragon1) is out of town at the moment, so any and all mistakes are mine, mine, mine!_

_Coming next:_

_Black- In which Valkyrie shows off, Skulduggery is speechless, and hats are thrown. _


	9. Chapter 9 (Black)

**_Black._**

_A/N: I'm not entirely sure that this chapter gets an M rating, but it's probably on the racier side of 'Teen,' so just be, you know, warned. There are boobs and bones, don't read it if you're not comfortable with these things. There's no plot here, just half-way smut. Okay? Nobody's going to be accidentally scarred by my writing because they didn't expect it? Good, let's go. _

Venice is a beautiful city. It is, quite possibly, the most enchanting place in the world. The sound of water follows you everywhere you go, and the streets near downtown are made of cobblestones. You can hear your shoes click over them as you walk. That night, the sky was black, and so was the water in the canals, smooth and clear as glass. You could see the stars reflected in it, like underwater lights sparkling up at us.

I walked hand-in-hand with Valkyrie, down towards the inn that was our destination. Even the hours in the airport and on the plane hadn't dulled her eagerness. She was humming with it, bouncing along beside me. I could feel her energy through our rings, which magnify every emotion, every sensation, and bind us together. She was happy, a little nervous, and full of anticipation. I honestly didn't know what she was getting from me. I could feel her heartbeat, and my gloves against her skin. It was a good feeling. We reached the inn, and I paused to check my façade. Then I led her inside, up to the front desk.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pleasant Cain," I told the sour-faced woman at the desk. Pleasant Cain. Wasn't that just poetic? Didn't it just seem right? The receptionist handed me the room keys silently, looking us up and down. I could feel Valkyrie's annoyance at being stared at, and I tugged her along to the elevator before she did something stupid. Her annoyance briefly turned to me, but the overwhelming joy drowned it, pushing it aside for later.

I handed one of the room keys to her, and she slipped it down her dress into her bra with a coy smile. I tilted my head at her, but decided not to comment. The elevator dinged open, and the old wood décor of the inn's hallway stretched before us. Valkyrie ran down it, leaving her suitcase behind. I picked it up in my free hand and trailed behind her at a more reasonable pace.

"Found our room!" she called back to me, and disappeared inside. A second later, she poked her head out. "Hurry up!" Shaking my head fondly, I kept walking at the same speed. With an irritated huff, she went back inside, dark hair spinning out behind her. By the time I reached our room, she was standing on the balcony outside, looking out at the canal below. She was still bouncing slightly, and the emotions coming through the link were mischief and nerves. I know that combination, and it's usually bad news for my hat.

Sure enough, once I closed the door behind me, she spun around and came at me, lips closing on the façade's. First, she grabbed my hat and tossed it to one side. I didn't really care where it landed anymore. Her fingers made quick work of my tie and top buttons, and she tapped the symbols on my collarbones, lips continuing their assault on my bared teeth.

"That façade tastes like sawdust," she mumbled against my mouth.

"So sorry," I replied, and she took the opportunity to explore the inside of my mouth with her tongue. Curiosity-happiness-satisfaction-joy came through the rings from her as I leaned back against the door for support. She drew away from me, and looked me over carefully.

"A-ha," she said, and grinned. "Ready to see what I can do with that aura of yours?" She sounded eager, and somewhat dangerous. The words made something burn inside my bones, like her feather-light touches always did. "Interesting," she commented.

"What?" I managed, still leaning against the door where she'd trapped me earlier.

"The black is spreading," she answered, and then curled her fingers in until they touched my top rib.

Pleasure is like pain, it doesn't stay in one spot. It shoots through my bones, filling the spaces in-between, blurring my vision and making my thoughts stutter. Or so I learned that night. I am very rarely speechless, but the first time she touched me like that, I couldn't manage a word. She didn't say anything either, just breathed out sharply. The rings transfer both emotional and physical sensations, especially for the first few days, so I had no doubt she'd felt it too. Suddenly I felt a more intense demand that was not my own. Valkyrie's need-fire-want came through the rings, doubling my own.

"_Shit,_" she gasped. "So, this is what they mean when they say it's a 'magical honeymoon,' huh?" Usually I preferred talking to anything else, but in this situation, I was done with words. I waved my hand and she went flying backwards, to land on the double bed in the middle of the room. I followed, feet not touching the floor. I fully intended to land on top of her, taking charge of this situation. I was, after all, the experienced one here, no matter how old that experience was. But as soon as I landed, Valkyrie twisted us around so that she straddled my hips, very much in charge.

Satisfaction radiated from her, and although I could have turned the tables back, I stayed where I was. Her first order of business was to remove my gloves and toss them aside. One hand interlaced with mine, and the other one went to the zipper at the back of her dress. In one graceful movement, like a butterfly finding its way out of a cocoon, Valkyrie pulled off her dress and kicked it off the side of the bed, settling back onto me. I stared. I had previously insisted that most clothes be kept on, citing my 17th century upbringing. As such, this sudden exposure had caught me off-guard, woefully unprepared.

Her skin was pale and glowing in the room's dim lights. There were blemishes, of course, but they only completed the picture, the scars across her chest a reminder of who she was, and her bravery. Her eyes shone down at me, a playful smirk decorating her lips. Confidence had replaced her nerves, and a mischievous fire came from her. I let my focus drift down, curiosity finally getting the better of me.

Her bra was tight and black, cupping the perfect swells of her breasts, but not padded enough to hide the little hardened nipples that practically begged to be touched. The rim was lace, showing her creamy skin through the gaps. Her stomach was defined with the muscles she'd worked so hard for, and her underwear was black shear fabric over a red silk lining, rimmed with black lace as well.

She laughed then, and I realized I'd been staring with my jaw slightly open. Lost in the perfection of her body and the shock of the lace, I'd almost forgotten that this was _Valkyrie, _my precious Valkyrie that was showing herself to me like this, offering everything, and trusting me so implicitly. It made everything even more unbelievable, like a dream, except I couldn't dream, so it must be real. I closed my mouth and reached out, trailing bare bone fingers over her skin, over the hard nipples, savoring the echo of pleasure through the rings, and the gasp I got from her.

Then she batted my hands away and went for my remaining shirt buttons. I surprised both of us by flinching and grabbing her hands. Her eyes, dark with want and shadow, drifted up to my empty eye sockets, questioning.

"I…" I hesitated, unsure of how to phrase this. "Valkyrie, you've never seen my without my suit before. I'm not… a man."

"I know, I've seen enough of you to realize that." She shrugged, sounding dismissive. She didn't understand what I was trying to say. Valkyrie was beautiful. Caelan had been handsome, and Fletcher had been 'hot'. But I could never be any of those things. I was something dug up from a grave, white bones and empty space.

"I'm a skeleton," I said. "I just didn't want you to expect something wonderful. I'm just a dead man, held together by magic." I knew my voice was bitter, but I didn't care. I just wanted her to understand. By the surprise-sadness-anger coming from her, it was dawning on her. She crossed her arms over her chest, and glared down at me.

"Skulduggery Cain Pleasant," she said in the voice she reserved for bad guys being stupid. "What happened to your ego? Of course you're something wonderful. Beautiful, handsome, and idiotic. You're not just a dead man, you're more than that, you're _Skulduggery._" She said the word as though it explained everything. I suppose she didn't know what it meant.

"Exactly. Trickery, deceit. I can pass as a man, with my suit and my intelligence, my facades and my wit. But I'm not. I just don't want that to… surprise you." Scare you, disgust you, drive you away. Valkyrie took a deep breath, closing her eyes and holding it for a moment. Then she let it out and looked at me again.

"I love you," she said. "And I've never seen you as anything other than what you are. Yes, you're a skeleton, but that doesn't mean that you're not a man. And I love every part of you. I love your eye sockets, and your never-changing smile, because they look _good_ on you." She kissed my teeth lightly. "I love your cheekbones, and I love your skull because it makes an awesome sound when you flick it," she continued, and did just that.

"Ow," I complained, so she kissed the same spot before moving on.

"I love your collarbones because they're delicate, and your ribs because they're smooth, just perfect for sliding your hand along." She removed my tie and unbuttoned my shirt, illustrating her point by following her words, bringing a gasp from both of us. "I love your hands because they're beautiful, and your arms because they've caught me so many times, but I _hate_ your elbows because they're way too sharp." She slid off my shirt and gave them a kiss anyways. "I love all of you, and you're handsome, and perfect, and an idiot, but I don't care because I love you. Can I touch you now?" Her voice took on the petulance of a five year old, giving me an expectant look. Still trying to process her words, I didn't respond.

She kissed my mouth again, lips sliding over teeth, tongue lightly teasing. My jacket and shirt were lying somewhere on the floor, getting wrinkled, but for once I didn't care, because I could feel Valkyrie's bare skin against my bones. My head was filled with her, my body burned for her.

"Yes," I said, and my voice was unfamiliar. It was rough, the usual velvet rubbed the wrong way, the word almost pleading. Valkyrie heard all this, and her satisfaction came through the link.

"Yes _what?" _she asked, sounding so sweet, hands hovering over me, just waiting, teasing.

"Yes, you can touch me now," I elaborated, smoothing my voice back into its usual tones and throwing in a mocking head tilt. Her eyes narrowed, and I could feel her anger-amusement-irritation, then her defiance. She trailed her hands oh-so-lightly over my aura, filling my body with need, and the urge to press up against her fingers. But I kept myself still, not wanting to give in so easily. She paused over one spot and dug her fingers in, just barely, and my body reacted automatically, pushing toward her, trying to find more pressure. She smirked, and I growled at her, irritated. "Valkyrie…" I warned. She shivered slightly, and this time I was the one exuding triumph.

There was no use in teasing each other, though. Our need and pleasure was one and the same because of the rings, and it only frustrated both of us to hold back. I could see her realizing this, and giving in. She brushed one more kiss against my cheekbone, and then bent and undid my belt with surprisingly fast movements. She got stuck on my shoes for a while, but then they were off, and she was tossing them over her shoulder, where they hit the wall with a 'thunk'. The trousers followed, and then I heard her laugh.

"No underwear," she said in response to my head tilt.

"Of course not," I said. She ignored me, trailing her eyes up and down my body. I resisted the urge to freeze, knowing it would only make me look more like a skeleton from a high-school science classroom. Instead, I propped myself up on my elbows, bringing our faces closer together. I could feel her hot thighs against my bare bones, but it wasn't _near _enough. "Valkyrie," I said again, this time my tone demanding. Her breath caught, and I felt her restraint weakening. "Stop staring and touch me." That did it.

With a near-feral growl, she reached into my aura and twisted. Together, we cried out.

"So black," Valkyrie gasped. "It's everywhere. Your aura…" And then, deciding talking was a waste of time, she dug her fingers in until her hand was wrapped around my lowest rib.

"_Valkyrie,_" I groaned. Her only response was a pensive look and curiosity coming through the bond. That was all the warning I got before she lowered her head and her tongue caressed my rib cage, hot and wet against my cold bones. I clenched my teeth together, trying not to make a sound, but when she bit down, hard, the wordless groan made its way out anyways.

Satisfaction-fire-want came from Valkyrie, and she moved onwards, exploring my body with her fingers first, then covering the same area with kisses and bites, occasionally pausing on an area that sent bolts of pleasure through us, so sharp it was like pain.

At one point, Valkyrie looked up at me, her lips swollen from the pressure on my bones, and spoke in a clear voice, as though commenting on the weather, "Next time, chocolate sauce." Then, with a grin, she went back to my hips, tongue sweeping along the inside in decadent patterns.

The pleasure built up, like a pressure in my bones and in Valkyrie's body. Finally, too full for it, Valkyrie bit down on my hip, and the world exploded around us. The feeling echoed back and forth between us, building with each repetition, until we were both crying with it, twisted up in each other and still trying to get closer. Slowly it faded, and we lay there for a moment, fatigue creeping in. Her skin was slick with sweat, and it slid against my bones easily as she shifted.

"The black is gone," Valkyrie said, breaking the silence. "I guess you need time to recharge, huh?" She sounded almost mocking, and the mischief was back in the bond. Tired as I was, I couldn't stand for _that. _I flipped us around easily, so that I was on top of her,and she looked up at me with a smile that told me I'd just played right into her expectations. Truthfully, I didn't much care.

"And what should we do in the meantime?" I asked, voice serious. She grinned.

"I think I've got a few ideas."

* * *

_A/N: Hello, hello, I'm back! And with my first sex scene! Originally, this chapter was actually much longer, and it included a piece after this where Valkyrie gets her due, but I couldn't tell if that made it too long, so I cut it out for now. Also, this is possible to justify as 'Teen', but the other part is definitely M._

_My question is this: Should I post the whole thing, or just leave it as is? All feedback is appreciated! Please review with answers, questions, comments, and opinions._

_Thank you for the follows, the favorites, the reviews, and the praise! I love you all, even the people who just lurk around silently. You're awesome too, for reading this far and sticking with me! See you again soon. _

_Also, although ticklethedragon1 has ceased to beta my story, she was still the reason this fanfic got as far as it did, so I think I should probably just remind you of how awesome she is. (I love you, ashal-veh, don't you ever forget that.)_

_One chapter left! We're almost done!_

_Coming next-_

_Epilogue: In which there is a pirate, a knight, a princess, and all the colours of the rainbow._


End file.
